King Crab Recipe

Prepare crab

If your king crab legs are frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or place vacuum-sealed legs in cold water for 30–60 minutes. Rinse the legs under cold water and pat dry. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut along the underside of the shell to expose meat where convenient, or leave intact if you prefer cracking at the table.

Heat liquids

Pour the white wine into a large skillet (or use a large pot if steaming). Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Steam/simmer crab

If steaming: set the steamer basket over the simmering wine mixture (do not submerge the crab). Place crab legs in the steamer, cover, and steam for 6–8 minutes until heated through and fragrant. If using a skillet: nestle crab legs in the skillet, cover with a lid, and simmer gently in the wine steam for 6–8 minutes, turning once halfway through. Avoid overcooking — crab is pre-cooked and just needs to be heated.

Make garlic butter sauce

While crab is heating, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Stir in Dijon mustard, lemon zest, remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley.

Finish

When crab is heated through, transfer legs to a serving platter using tongs. Spoon some of the wine cooking liquid over the crab for extra flavor, then drizzle or serve the garlic butter alongside for dipping. Taste and adjust seasoning of the sauce with extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.

Arrange lemon wedges on the platter. Provide crab crackers or kitchen shears so guests can access the meat if shells are intact. Sprinkle coarse sea salt over lemon wedges or bread if desired. Serve immediately with crusty bread or steamed rice to soak up the sauce.

Use tongs to handle hot crab legs. If steaming, monitor water level in the pot so it doesn’t boil dry. Use kitchen shears or a crab cracker to open thick sections of shell and extract meat.